The Pancatantra

by Vishnu Sharma, Chandra Rajan (Translator)

First recorded 1500 years ago, but taking its origins from a far earlier oral tradition, the Pancatantra is ascribed by legend to the celebrated, half-mythical teacher Visnu Sarma. Asked by a great king to awaken the dulled intelligence of his three idle sons, the aging Sarma is said to have composed the great work as a series of entertaining and edifying fables narrated by a wide range of humans and animals, and together intended to provide the young princes with vital guidance for life. Since first leaving India before AD 570, the Pancatantra has been widely translated and has influenced a cast number of works in India, the Arab world and Europe, including the Arabian Nights, the Canterbury Tales and the Fables of La Fontaine. Enduring and profound, it is among the earliest and most popular of all books of fables.

Genres: Classics, India, Fiction, Mythology, Short Stories, Philosophy, Fantasy

519 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 201

About the author

Vishnu Sharma (Sanskrit: विष्णुशर्मन् / विष्णुशर्मा) was an Indian scholar and author who is believed to have written the Panchatantra collection of fables. The exact period of the composition of the Panchatantra is uncertain, and estimates vary from 1200 BCE to 300 CE.Some scholars place him in the 3rd century BCE.

Panchatantra is one of the most widely translated non-religious books in history. The Panchatantra was translated into Middle Persian/Pahlavi in 570 CE by Borzūya and into Arabic in 750 CE by Persian scholar Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa as Kalīlah wa Dimnah (Arabic: كليلة و دمنة‎). In Baghdad, the translation commissioned by Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid Caliph, is claimed to have become "second only to the Qu'ran in popularity." "As early as the eleventh century this work reached Europe, and before 1600 it existed in Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian, German, English, Old Slavonic, Czech, and perhaps other Slavonic languages. Its range has extended from Java to Iceland." In France, "at least eleven Panchatantra tales are included in the work of Jean de La Fontaine."

The prelude to the Panchatantra identifies Vishnu Sharma as the author of the work. Since there is no other independent external evidence about him, "it is impossible to say whether he was the historical author . . .or is himself a literary invention". Based on analysis of various Indian recensions and the geographical features and animals described in the stories, Kashmir is suggested to be his birthplace by various scholars.

The prelude narrates the story of how Vishnu Sharma supposedly created the Panchatantra. There was a king called Sudarshan[citation needed] who ruled a kingdom, whose capital was a city called Mahilaropya (महिलारोप्य), whose location on the current map of India is unknown. The king had three sons named Bahushakti, Ugrashakti and Anantashakti] Though the king himself was both a scholar and a powerful ruler, his sons were "all dullards." The king despaired of his three princes' inability to learn, and approached his ministers for counsel. They presented him with conflicting advice, but the words of one, called Sumati, rang true to the king. He said that the sciences, politics and diplomacy were limitless disciplines that took a lifetime to master formally. Instead of teaching the princes scriptures and texts, they should somehow be taught the wisdom inherent in them, and the aged scholar Vishnu Sharma was the man to do it.

Vishnu Sharma was invited to the court, where the king offered him a hundred land grants if he could teach the princes. Vishnu Sharma declined the promised award, saying he did not sell knowledge for money, but accepted the task of making the princes wise to the ways of politics and leadership within six months. Vishnu Sharma knew that he could never instruct these three students through conventional means. He had to employ a less orthodox way, and that was to tell a succession of animal fables – one weaving into another – that imparted to them the wisdom they required to succeed their father. Adapting stories that had been told for thousands of years in India, panchatantra was composed into an entertaining five part work to communicate the essence of diplomacy, relationships, politics and administration to the princes. These five discourses — titled "The Loss of Friends", "The winning of friends", "Of Crows and Owls", "Loss of Gains" and "Imprudence" — became the Panchatantra, meaning the five (pancha) treatises (tantra).

Reviews

[Huda Aweys · Rating 3 out of 5]

We learned a lot about ethics and values ​​through these tales when we were kids ! .. :) It's really nice,And I was like it !

[Orient · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panchatantra story of a monkey and a crocodile.Stories in stones, Tripurantakesvara Temple

It all started with Sreyas and me discussing tales and creatures in them. I presented him some of Lithuanian tale and myth heritage and he offered me to have a taste of his country’s folklore. “The tales of Panchatantra”. Nāndi, my friend 😉He cautioned me in advance that there are no dragons there.



“The Tales of Panchatantra” contains five books (“pancha” means “five” and “tantra” means “part”), each of the parts presenting a set of tales. “The Separation of Friends”, “The Gaining of Friends”, “Of Crows and Owls”, “Loss of Gains”, and “Hasty Action”. You can read them for free on http://www.talesofpanchatantra.com/sh...

The tales are mainly about animals, but there are human characters, too. That is the charm of these tales as animals express the character features of humans, is it good or evil, no matter. A sneak peek into ancient India through folklore, traditions and wisdom written in these tales.

What I liked a lot is that the tales aren’t all fluff, well, there are some nice stories with HEA, but the aim of the tales is to teach a lesson. (More interesting facts on Panchatantra Tales: https://penguinindiablog.wordpress.co...)

You could call the tales simple and they are indeed, but nonetheless I was surprised a couple of times. More in a pleasant way as some tales reminded me of my own childhood tales, like:

The Cunning Hare and the Lion.




The scene from my childhood cartoon with the same title.


The Wedding of the Mouse ( I watched a different take on this tale, but the main theme is the same: you can’t change who you are. My childhood tale was “Kas Visų Stipriausias?”/ “Who is the strongest?” Two brothers travel in search of the strongest sb/smth, they meet sun, wind, rock and etc.)




A scene from „Who is the strongest?“


I also really liked some tales because they had more intrigue and irony for me, they are:

The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal and the Crow.




The Elephant and the Sparrow




The Foolish crane and the Mongoose.




The Unforgiving Monkey (well, don’t tell I told you but there’s a really nice nasty monster in this one *wink wink*)




Also I liked how snakes are presented in the tales, knowing their importance in the mythology of India, they occupy an important place in the tales.



What struck me at first is that most stories are centered on a male in the lead, not much space for female protagonists, but I must keep in mind that these tales are an ancient heritage.

To sum up, it was a nice read, it made me wanna read more about the mythology of India.

[Marquise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insanely fun book collecting a myriad tales of animals and people, that can be read in just moments and that leaves you laughing and pensive. It's strikingly similar to Aesop's Fables, so similar that even if you lack the Indian cultural context for a lot of the tales (as I did), you'll still understand the general thrust of the story, both because they're very easy to understand and because you're likely to get the point from the Western animal fables you were taught growing up. There's also handy morals at the end of every short tale that sums up the lesson it's meant to teach, so there's no way to miss it. Very recommended!

[Hamed Manoochehri · Rating 4 out of 5]

لُب مطلب:
این کتاب هم به خاطر پیشنه و تاثیر تاریخی/فرهنگیش و هم به خاطر اسلوب نگارشی و هم نگاه فلسیفیش به جبر/اختیار ارزش تجربه کردنو داره.

♦️یه توضیح مختصر درباره کتاب:

پنچاتانترا (پنج کتاب یا پنج رهنمون) نوشته [احتمالاً] ویشنو شَمرا در (حدوداً ۳۰۰ سال قبل از میلاد) همون کتابی هست که در قرن ششم میلاد به دستور خسرو اول، شاه ساسانی، توسط برزویه به پارسی میانه (پهلوی) و سپس توسط روزبه پورداودیه(ابن مقفع) به عربی ترجمه شد و ما امروز این نسخه رُ به نام "کلیله و دمنه" می شناسیم. 

باید توجه داشت که کلیله و دمنه با اینکه ترجمه پنچاتنترا هست اما تفاوت های بزرگی هم با اون داره. پنچاتانترا، از نظر سبک نگارشی ساده تر هست اما ساختاری پیچیده تر داره. داستان در داستان که ترفندی هست از منشا فلسفه هند و زبان سانسکریت در پنچاتانترا بارها و بارها تودرتو‌تر از کلیله و دمنه ست. 

تفاوت بعدی، فلسفه و هدف آموزشی این دو کتابه. در پنچاتانترا ما بیشتر به خِرد کاربردی، استراتژی سیاسی و فلسفه مشارکت فعال (در زمینه جبر و اختیار) سر و کار داریم و هدف نهایی‌ای که ویشنو شرما برای مخاطب تدریس میکنه "بقا به هر وسیله" ست. که البته این برداشت شخصی خودمه از داستان ها. 

اما در کلیله و دمنه با اینکه بسیاری از داستانهای پنچاتنترا عیناً اومدن، اما نتیجه گیری نهایی بر مبنای فضایل اخلاقی هست و همون پندار نیک و کردار نیک. در کلیله و دمنه بقای جامعه به فرد ارجحیت داره.

✨در پنچاتنترا با اینکه دو مقوله جبر و اختیار  بارها در مقابل هم تصویر می شن، اما در نگاه کلی، ویشنو شرما معتقد به تضاد این دو نیست. تاکید داستان ها به خرد، درس گرفتن از تجارب و نقد ذهنیت برهمن( در سانسکریتِ پنچاتنترا برهمن معنی دیندار میده)، نشون دهنده درهم‌آمیختگی جبر و اختیار یا همون فلسفه مشارکت فعال هست.

♦️درباره "داستان در داستان":

یکی از دلایلی که خواستم این کتابو تجربه کنم، تاثیر این کتاب در ساختار داستان در داستانِ (frame story ) کتاب هزار و یک شب بود. در هزار و یک شب یک داستان اصلی داریم که در بطنش داستانهای دیگه ارائه میشن. هر کدوم از این داستانها به صورت سرراست از یک نقطه شروع و در یک نقطه هم تموم میشن تا به آخرین داستان برسیم و بعد از پایان این داستان ِ جانبی، پایان داستان اصلی رُ خواهیم داشت. 

اما، اما، اما،
در پنچاتنترا، داستان اصلی شروع می شه ولی داستان های جانبی به طرز دیوانه واری در هم تنیده و آنتالوجیکال هستن. پیچیدگی به طوریه که بین شروع داستان جانبی اول و پایان این داستان، بیش تر از 20 داستان دیگه گفته میشه که هر کدوم توسط داستان بعدی قطع میشه و چندین داستان طول میکشه تا پایانی براش ذکر بشه و این فقط در مورد داستان هایی هست که پایانشون اومده. خیلی از داستان هایی که قطع شدن هرگز تموم نمی شن. که این البته به نسخه اصلی هزار و یک شب که هرگز به پایان نمی رسه و ذکری از همنوایی شهریار و شهرزاد هرگز گفته نمیشه، سِنخیت غیرقابل انکار داره.

✨یه نکته که یادم رفت بگم در مورد POV اول شخص هست. داستان گویی از نقطه نظر اول شخص، حالا بنا به دلایل فرهنگی و مذهبی، جز در همین قرون معاصر اصلا موجودیت قابل ذکری نداشته ولی در این کتاب و داستان "حُکم گربه the cat's judgment" داستان، راوی اول شخص داره که در نوع خودش تاریخساز محسوب میشه.

♦️تاثیر در سایر فرهنگ ها:

بعد از ترجمه این کتاب به پهلوی و بعد هم عربی این کتاب به عبری، یونانی و لاتین(Directorium Humanae Vitae) ترجمه شده و خیلی سریع در کل قاره اروپا و شمال آفریقا محبوب شد تا حدی که کتاب La Fontaine’s Fables که قراره حکایات اخلاقی مردم بومی فرانسه باشه، ترجمه همین کلیله و دمنه ست اما قدمت و تاثیر جهان‌شمولش به حدیه که فرانسوی ها اینو بخشی از فرهنگ خودشون میدونن. 

علاوه بر این در قرن ها 12-13 ورژن های سانسکریت پانچاتنترا با مبلغان بودایی وارد چین و سپس ژاپن شد که تقریبا همه داستان های کتاب کوایدان بارقه هایی از پانچاتنترا رُ درخودشون حمل میکنن.



🔴چندتا نکته بامزه کتاب:

1-به نظر میاد الاغ (Ass) در اون زمان نجس بوده و بعد از دست زدن به الاغ باید طهارت میگرفتن:

If you should touch an ass—be it In ignorance or not—You needs must wash your clothes and bathe, To cleanse the sinful spot.

2-ضد زن بودن کتاب هم ِلول های مختلفی داره؛ از تمجیدِ زیرکیِ زنی که تونسته با "خِرد" خودش خیانتش رُ پنهان کنه تا قتل زن فقط به دلیل نق زدن.

A wife forever nagging And falling in a rage,
Is not a wife, say sages, But premature old age.
Therefore with patient effort Avoid the very name
Of every earthly woman, If comfort be your aim.

یا این


From cows expect subsistence; From Brahmans, self-denial;
From women, fickle conduct; From relatives, a trial


3- یکی از تنبیهات بامزه، نشون دادن باسن برهنه به طرف مقابل بوده که بارها و بارها توی کتاب ذکر میشه. مخصوصاً در همون داستان اصلی که معلم اینجوری روش تدریسشو تضمین میکنه:

If I fail to render your sons, in six months’ time, incomparable masters of the art of intelligent living, then His Majesty is at liberty to show me His Majestic bare bottom.”

4- خیلی جاها فضایل اخلاقی، فضائل قابوسنامه-طور دارن. خیلی جاها!

Where bribes and flattery would fail,

Intrigue is certain to avail


🔴


و در آخر اینکه این کتاب یه ترجمه عالی انگلیسی داره که خوندنش برای عموم آزاد و مجانیه


و همینطور آدیوبوکش هم در سایت Librivox موجوده که البته لیبریواکسه دیگه و از کار خودجوش نباید انتظار زیادی داشت، هرچند که من به آدیوبوکش نمره قبولی میدم. مخصوصا اینکه راوی لحجه هندی داشت. 

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good collection to start with 💝

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Panchatantra means five codes of conduct is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables. Originally narrated in Sanskrit. The Panchatantra illustrates the primary Hindu principles of niti - the wise conduct of life – through stories largely based on animal characters. It is one of the surviving work is dated to about 300 BCE, but the fables or stories are likely much more ancient. The text's author is unknown, but has been attributed to Vishnu Sharma. These stories of India is translated in many languages around the world and they are very famous.

We have learned about lot of values and moral from this book. Even today it still fits to everyone not just kids, it’s for adults too. The best part is that every story in the book teaches a lesson for life to you in a nice way. I have learned so many things.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Когато подлите почитат
и ненавиждат честността,
там три неща намират място -
страхът, недостигът, смъртта.”

”С мъдрец и откровен - дружи;
с лъжлив и умен стъпвай леко;
глупак и честен съжали;
а от подлец и тъп - далеко.”

Една от най-мъдрите книги - приказна, пълна с хумор, поезия, проза и тъга. Книга, която може да се чете и от деца, и от възрастни - даровете и са за всички възрасти и характери.

Понякога времето е било милостиво и все пак е съхранило част от съкровищата на човешкия ум и сърце от стари времена, плод на древната устна традиция от зората на човечеството. За да ни обясни просто и красиво как да се живее достойно и мъдро, смело и с любов...

***
Цитати:

”От словото се ражда слово,
а името — от имена.
Така и зърното отново,
се ражда от зърна.

За умния, какво е трудно?
И кой ще спре решимостта?
Какво не преви сладка дума?
Що не постига ревността?

С врага и болестта бори се
без страх от първия им миг,
че ако станат много силни
ще свършиш като мъченик.
Тоз, който себе си не знае
и не познава своя враг,
подобно на пеперуда в огън –
ще изгори като глупак.
Ще стигне смелият до някаква сполука.
страхливците шептят: „Съдба, съдба!”
Съдбата подчини, вдигни дори юмрука,
че няма да е грях, когато си в борба.

Злодеят своя скъп приятел губи,
глупакът – най-полезните дела,
неблагородният убива с думи груби,
неприветливият руши интимността.

Тоз, който всичко е изучил,
дълбоко в същността е бил
и от това не вижда полза -
напразно се е уморил.”.

[James Violand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aesop on steroids. Instead of the moral at the end of a fable, the characters recite morals throughout a fable, which may be within a fable, which is inside another fable, only then to reach a conclusion and a new moral. It reminds me of the movie "Inception" only not nearly as entertaining. There's only so much a black snake, lion, fish, turtle, crow or one of a myriad of animals can teach us without ennui settling in.

[Raya راية · Rating 4 out of 5]

"الشخص يحصل على ما هو مُقدّر له أن يحصل عليه، ولستَ بحاجة إلى أن تُثار أو تقلق بشأن ذلك، كل ما هو لي لن يذهب أبداً إلى آخر."

مجموعة من القصص المتداخلة داخل بعضها بعضاً، مليئة بالحكم والمواعظ والدروس. قصص ترويها الحيوانات والآلهة والملوك والخدم. استمتعت بها جداً.

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

মহিলারোপ্যে রাজ্যের তিন মূর্খ রাজপুত্রকে শিক্ষার ভার নেন বিষ্ণুশর্মা। তিনি মিত্রভেদ,মিত্রপ্রাপ্তি, ককোলূকীয়, লব্ধপ্রণাশ ও অপরীক্ষিতকারক - এই পাঁচটি তন্ত্র শিক্ষা দিয়ে তাদের শিক্ষিত করে তোলেন।

ছোটবেলা থেকে সুদূর গ্রিসদেশের ঈশপের গল্প পড়ে বাঙালি অভ্যস্ত। অথচ ঈশপের চে' বহুগুণ সমৃদ্ধ গল্পের সংকলন "পঞ্চতন্ত্র" এই উপমহাদেশেই আছে।বিষ্ণুশর্মার মূল পঞ্চতন্ত্র এখন আর অবিকৃত নেই। কিন্তু বর্তমান যেই রূপে পঞ্চতন্ত্র পাই তাও যথেষ্ট ভাবনার খোরাক যোগায়,বুদ্ধিকে শাণিত করে। গোলাম মোস্তাকীমের "সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলীঃ প্রসঙ্গ অপ্রসঙ্গ" বইতে পাই, যারা লেখক হতে চান মুজতবা আলী তাদের জন্য বিষ্ণুশর্মার "পঞ্চতন্ত্র" অবশ্যপাঠ্য বলেছেন।

আর গল্পগুলো নিয়ে বিশেষভাবে বলার কিছু নেই। বিভিন্ন জীব-জন্তুই এই বইয়ের কথক। তাদের জবানিতেই গল্পের পিঠে গল্প এগিয়েছে। আর প্রতিটি গল্পের শেষেই থাকছে একটি করে নীতিশিক্ষা।

খুব সুন্দর বই "পঞ্চতন্ত্র"। আর হ্যা, যারা বইটিকে শিশুপাঠ্য ভাবছেন,তাদের জন্য রইল সমবেদনা।

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

These animal fables within the five books (pancha tantra) of a frame story collectively constitute nitishastra or scriptures on the wise conduct of life, not for the ascetic but for the person in the world. Apart from being the recognizable source for versions of fables later recounted by Aesop and others, the narratives are entertaining for their humor and social calculus. One of my favorite sections is the fourth book, Crows and Owls. After a parliament of the birds has decided to make owl their king to administer them (holy Garuda being too busy serving Lord Vishnu), the crow, who had missed the meeting, threw everything into turmoil with these words: (this is from memory so caveat lector)

Big hooked nose and eyes a-squint,
Ugly face without a hint
of tenderness or beauty in it
Good natured he is fierce to see
If he were mad, what would he be?
Stupid, cruel and full of spleen,
Every word he speaks is mean,
If you make an owl your king,
You will fail in everything.

The dénouement of the endless feud between crows and owls is no more than a just-so story of zoologic antipathies but the spectacle of animals quoting scripture to each other while all the time scheming towards their own advantage is delicious.

[Robert Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOLKTALES AND FABLES IN WORLD LITERATURE--THE PANCHATANTRA, THE INDIAN AESOP, LA FONTAINE'S FABLES, THE PALI JATAKAS, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, CHARLES PERRAULT'S MOTHER GOOSE, THE CHINESE MONKEY KING, JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS' TAR-BABY & THE AMERINDIAN COYOTE AND TRICKSTER TALES ----FROM THE WORLD LITERATURE FORUM RECOMMENDED CLASSICS AND MASTERPIECES SERIES VIA GOODREADS—-ROBERT SHEPPARD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


Folk tales, folk song, folk legend and and folk lore have been with us since time immemorial and incorporate the primal archetypes of the collective unconscious and the folk wisdom of the human race. Very often these were passed down for millennia in oral form around primal campfires or tribal conclaves as "orature" before the invention of writing and the consequent evolution of "literature," later to be recorded or reworked in such immortal collections as "Aesop's Fables" of the 6th Century BC. In the 1700-1800's a new interest in folk tales arose in the wake of the Romantic Movement which idealized the natural wisdom of the common people, inducing the systematic efforts of scholars and writers to collect and preserve this heritage, as exemplified in such works as Sir Walter Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border," (1802) Goethe's friend Johann Gottfried Herder's "Folksongs," (1779) and the "German Folktales" (1815) of "The Brothers Grimm"---Jacob and Wilhelm.

With the evolution of World Literature in our globalized modern world these enduring folk tales remain a continuing source of wisdom and delight. We encounter them as children in our storybooks and we gain the enhanced perspectives of maturity on them as we introduce them to our own children and grandchildren. Additionally, we have the opportunity to learn of the folk wisdom and genius of other peoples and civilizations which add to our own heritage as the common inheritance of mankind.

Thus World Literature Forum is happy to introduce such masterpieces of the genre as the "Panchatantra" of ancient India, similar to the animal fables of our own Western Aesop, the "Pali Jatakas," or fabled-accounts of the incarnations of Buddha on the path of Enlightenment, folk-tales of the Chinese Monkey-King Sun Wu Kong and his Indian prototype Hanuman from the Ramayana, and the Amerincian Coyote and Trickster Tales. Also presented is some of the history and evolution of the classics of our own Western heritage, whose origins may have slipped from memory, such as Charles Perrault's "Mother Goose" tales, La Fontaine's "Fables," and American Southern raconteur Joel Chandler Harris's "Tar Baby," derived from the African tales of the black slaves,and perhaps of earlier Indian origin.



AESOP---FATHER OF THE FOLK AND ANIMAL FABLE



Aesop's "Fables" (500 BC) were very popular in ancient Athens. Little is known of Aesop himself, though legends have it that he was very ugly and that the citizens of Athens purportedly threw him off a cliff for non-payment of a charity, after which they were punished by a plague. Most Europeans came to know the Fables through a translation into Latin by a Greek slave Phaedrus in Rome, which collected ninety-seven short fables became a children's primer as well as a model text for learning Latin for the next two millennia throughout Europe. An example is:


The Fox and the Crow

A Fox once saw a crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. "Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of all other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds." The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. "That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I'll give you a piece of advice for the future: 'Do not trust flatterers.'"




THE PANCHATANTRA---THE INDIAN AESOP



Sometime around 600 AD the enlightened King of Persia Nushirvan sent a delegation to India headed by the renown scholar Barzoye to obtain a copy of a book reputed to be replete with political wisdom. Barzoye visited the court of the most powerful king in India and at last obtained copies of not only that book but of many others. Fearful that the Indian king would take back the books, he quickly made copies and translated the works into Persian, or Pahlavi. On returning to the royal court in Persia Barzoya recited the works aloud to the King and court, who were so delighted they became Persian classics. Thus began the travels of the Panchatantra, which would be brought to Paris in the 1600's translated from the Persian into French, and from thence into all the modern European languages.

The Panchatantra, or "The Five Principles," is ascribed in India to a legendary figure, Vishnusharma, and is the most celebrated book of social wisdom in South Asian history. It is framed as a series of discourses for the education of royal princes, though like the Fables of the Greek Aesop, it utilizes the odd motif of talking animals--animal fables. Thus the core ethical problems of human existence such as the nature of trust and the limits of risk are entrusted to the wisdom of the beasts.

One of the most famous of the Aesopian animal fables of the Panchatantra is that of "The Turtle and the Geese." In the story two geese are close friends with a turtle in a pond named Kambugriva, but the pond is quickly drying up threatening all three with death. The geese resolve to fly away to a large lake and come to say good-bye to Kambugriva. He replies:

“Why are you saying good-bye to me? If you love me, you should rescue me from the jaws of death. For you when the lake dries up you will only suffer some loss of food, but for me it means death. What is worse, loss of food or loss of life?”

“What you say is true, good friend. We will take you with us: but don’t be stupid enough to say anything on the way.” The geese said.
“I won’t” Kambugriva promised.

So the geese brought a long stick and said to the turtle: “Now, hold onto the middle of this stick firmly with your teeth. We will then hold the two ends in our beaks and fly you through the air to a large beautiful lake far away.”

So the two geese stretched out their wings and flew with the stick in their mouths, the turtle hanging on by his teeth over the hills and forests until they flew over a town just near the lake. Looking up the townspeople saw the two birds flying, carrying the hanging turtle and exclaimed: “What is that pair of birds carrying through the air? It looks ridiculous, like a large cartwheel!”

“Who are you laughing at?” shouted the turtle with indignation, but as soon as he had opened his mouth to chastise them he fell from the stick and landed amoungst the townfolk, who proceeded to shell and cut him up for meat in their soup.

Moral:

“When a man does not heed the words of friends
Who only wish him well,
He will perish like the foolish turtle
Who fell down from the stick.”




LA FONTAINE'S FABLES--AN INDIAN TALE TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD TO EUROPE



One way in which folk tales travel about the world is through the process of conscious adoption and adaptation by authors in other nations. La Fontaine (1621-1695) was a literary courtier in the court of Louis XIV of France. The raciness, dangerous ambiguity and rampant wit of some of his tales led sometimes to the disfavour of Louis, but the purity and grace of his style led to his election to the Academie Francaise. His first edition of verse "Fables" was modeled on Aesop, but in later editions he turned to oriental sources, of which a French translation by Pilpay of the Indian "Panchatantra" from the Persian and Arabic was one. Its moral had survival value in the treacherous world of the French court at Versailles, particularly in its invocation to keep one's wits about you in a crowd and learn how to hold one's tongue:


The Tortoise and the Two Ducks


A light-brain’d tortoise, anciently,

Tired of her hole, the world would see.

Prone are all such, self-banish’d, to roam —

Prone are all cripples to abhor their home.

Two ducks, to whom the gossip told

The secret of her purpose bold,

Profess’d to have the means whereby

They could her wishes gratify.


‘Our boundless road,’ said they, ‘behold!

It is the open air;

And through it we will bear

You safe o’er land and ocean.

Republics, kingdoms, you will view,

And famous cities, old and new;

And get of customs, laws, a notion, —

Of various wisdom various pieces,

As did, indeed, the sage Ulysses.’

The eager tortoise waited not

To question what Ulysses got,

But closed the bargain on the spot.


A nice machine the birds devise

To bear their pilgrim through the skies. —

Athwart her mouth a stick they throw:

‘Now bite it hard, and don’t let go,’

They say, and seize each duck an end,

And, swiftly flying, upward tend.

It made the people gape and stare

Beyond the expressive power of words,

To see a tortoise cut the air,

Exactly poised between two birds.


‘A miracle,’ they cried, ‘is seen!

There goes the flying tortoise queen!’

‘The queen!’ (’twas thus the tortoise spoke;)

‘I’m truly that, without a joke.’

Much better had she held her tongue

For, opening that whereby she clung,

Before the gazing crowd she fell,

And dash’d to bits her brittle shell.


Imprudence, vanity, and babble,

And idle curiosity,

An ever-undivided rabble,

Have all the same paternity.





THE PALI JATAKAS--TALES OF THE PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS OF THE BUDDHA ON THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT



The Pali Jatakas are preserved in the "Pali Canon of Buddhist Scripture" which was compiled about the same time as the Christian Bible, in the first centuries AD. Each story purports to tell of a previous life of the Buddha in which he learned some critical lesson or acheived some moral attainment of the "Middle Path" in the course of the vast cycle of transmigration and reincarnation that led to his Buddhahood. The story of "Prince Five Weapons" represents one such prior life of the Buddha. The core of the story is the account of a battle against an adversary upon whose tacky and sticky body all weapons stick, a symbolical case study of a nemesis of the Buddhist virtue of "detachment."

In the opening frame tale of "Prince Five Weapons" the Buddha counsels an errant monk: "Are you a backslider?" he questioned. "Yes, Blessed One." confesses the monk, who had given up discipline. Then Buddha tells the story of his past life: A Prince was born to a great king. The Queen, seeking a name for him asked of 800 Brahmins for a name. Then she learned that the King would soon die and the baby Prince would become a great king, conquering with the aid of the Five Weapons. Sent to Afghanistan for martial arts training in the Five Weapons, on his return he encounters a great demon named "Hairy Grip" with an adhesive hide to which all weapons stick fast. the Prince uses his poison arrows, but they only stick to his hairy-sticky hide. He uses his sword, spear, and club but all stick uselessly. Then he uses his two fists, his two feet and finally butts him with his head, all of which stick uselessly to the hide. Finally, hopelessly stuck to the the monster, the demon asks if he is afraid to die. The Prince answers that he has a fifth weapon, that of Knowledge which he bears within him, and that if the monster devours him the monster will be punished in future lives and the Prince himself will attain future glories. The monster is taken aback by the spirit of the Prince and, becoming a convert to Buddhism releases him, after which the Prince fulfills his destiny of becoming a great King, and in a later life, the Buddha. Thereby, the backslider is counseled to persevere and end his backsliding, with the moral: "With no attachment, all things are possible."




"THE TAR BABY"---FROM THE AFRICAN SLAVE TALES OF UNCLE REMUS---(BRER FOX AND BRER RABBIT)--BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS---A FOLK STORY CIRCUMNAVIGATES THE WORLD



Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908) was born in Ante-Bellum Georgia, worked as a reporter and writer and like the Brothers Grimm and Scott collected folk tales by talking with the African slaves working on the Southern plantations, publishing them most famously as the "Uncle Remus" tales of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit, told by an old and wise slave to the young son of the master of the plantation. Like the Amerindian "Trickster" tales or the cartoon series the "Roadrunner and the Coyote," or "Bugs Bunny" they often focus on how the smart and wily Brer Rabbit outthinks and tricks Brer Fox who constantly seeks to catch and eat him. The most famous of these stories is that of "The Tar Baby" in which Brer Fox covers a life-like manniquin in sticky tar and puts it in Brer Rabbit's path. The rabbit becomes angry that the Tar Baby will not answer his questions and losing his temper strikes him, causing his hand to stick fast. Then in turn he hits, kicks and head butts him until his whole body is stuck fast to the "Tar Baby." The secret of how Brer Rabbit escapes is deferred by the sagacious storyteller Uncle Remus "until the next episode."

Scholars, discovering the similarity of the "Tar Baby" story with the Pali Jataka story of "Prince Five Weapons" debated whether the story had travelled across the world and centuries in the most astonishing way or was simply independently invented in two places. These two competing theories, "Monogenesis and Diffusion" vs "Polygenesis" remain competing explanations. Further research documented how the Pali Jataka had, like the "Panchatantra" been translated into Persian, then Arabic, then into African dialects in Muslim-influenced West Africa, where many American slaves hailed from. Polygenesis Theory also gained some competing support from C.G. Jung's theory of "Archetypes" and the "Universal Collective Unconscious" which would provide a psychological force and source for the continuous regeneration of similar stories and dreams throughout the world. The two theories continue to compete and complement each other as explanations of cultural diffusion and similiarity.




CHARLES PERRAULT'S "MOTHER GOOSE" TALES--ROYAL COURTS AND THE FOLK



Charles Perrault (1628-1703) was a contemporary of La Fontaine at the court of France's Louis XIV, with whom he was elected to the Academie Francaise. He won the King's favor and retired on a generous pension from the finance minister Colbert. He was associated with the argument between two literary factions which became known in England as "The Battle of the Books" after Swift, and which focused on the question of whether the modern writers or the ancients were the greater. Perrault argued in favor of the moderns, but Louis XIV intervened in the proceedings of the Academie and found in favor of the ancients. Perrault persisted,however, in trying to outdo Aesop in his "Mother Goose" collection of folk and children's tales. One of the most famous was that of "Donkey Skin," a kind of variation on the better-known Cinderella theme, in which a Princess, fearful of the attempt of her own father to an incestuous marriage, flees, disguising herself as a crude peasant-girl clothed in a donkey-skin. Arriving at the neighboring kingdom she works as a scullery maid until the Prince observes her in secret dressed in her most beautiful royal gown. Falling in love with her the Prince is unable to establish her true identity but finds a ring from her finger and declares he will marry the girl whose finger fits the ring. As in the case of Cinderella's glass slipper, all the girls of the kingdom attempt but fail to put on the ring, until the very last, Donkey-Skin succeeds. At the marriage it is discovered that she is really a Princess and she is reconciled with her father, who has abandoned his incestuous inclinations. The story is partially a satire on Louis XIV, who himself took as a mistress Louise de la Valliere, a simple girl with a lame foot while surrounded by the most elegant beauties of Paris.



THE CHINESE MONKEY KING AND HANUMAN FROM THE INDIAN RAMAYANA



Another remarkable instance of the diffusion of a story or character is that of the character of the Monkey King Sun Wu Kong in the immortal Chinese classic "Journey to the West" or "Xi You Ji." In this instance the character of the Monkey King originated in India as the Hanuman of the Ramayana, a half-man, half-monkey with magical superpowers who aids Rama in recovering his wife Sita from the evil sorcerer Ravanna. This tale was embodied in Indian lore which passed into China with the coming of Buddhism and was later incorporated into the classic novel by Wu ChengEn. Other Indian tales travelled through Persia into the Abbasid Caliphate to become part of the "One Thousand and One Nights."



THE AMERINDIAN COYOTE AND TRICKSTER TALES



The indiginous peoples of the Americas had rich narrative oral traditions ranging from tales of hunting and adventure to the creation myth of the Navajo "Story of the Emergence" and the Mayan "Popul Vuh." These tales circulated around the two continents and were most commonly associated with the "Trickster" tales---a devious, self-seeking, yet powerful and even sacred character, often embodied, like the Aesopian tradition, in animal form. In Southwest North America this often took the form of the Coyote. who constantly seeks to get his way by trickery, amorality and double-dealing, and who sometimes is successful but sometimes brings about his own ruin through his own deceit,insatiable appetites or curiosity. In the lustful tale "The Coyote as Medicine Man" the trickster gets all he desires. The Coyote walking along a lake sees an old man with a penis so long he must coil it around his body many times like a rope. Then he sees a group of naked girls jumping and playing in the water. He asks the old man if he can borrow his penis, which the old man lends him. Then the Coyote sticks the enormous penis onto his own and enters the water, at which the enormous penis slithers like an eel into the vagina of one of the girls, who cut it off with a knife, but with one part remaining inside, making her sick. Later the Coyote transforms himself into a Medicine Man shaman to whom the girls go to cure their sick friend. He uses this opportunity and trickery to sexually fondle all the girls as well as curing the sick one by an additional act of copulation, which fuses the two segments of the severed penis again into one, allowing him to extract the whole from her.



World Literature Forum invites you to check out the great Folk Tales and Fables of World Literature, and also the contemporary epic novel Spiritus Mundi, by Robert Sheppard. For a fuller discussion of the concept of World Literature you are invited to look into the extended discussion in the new book Spiritus Mundi, by Robert Sheppard, one of the principal themes of which is the emergence and evolution of World Literature:


For Discussions on World Literature and n Literary Criticism in Spiritus Mundi: http://worldliteratureandliterarycrit...


Robert Sheppard


Editor-in-Chief
World Literature Forum
Author, Spiritus Mundi Novel
Author’s Blog: http://robertalexandersheppard.wordpr...
Spiritus Mundi on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...
Spiritus Mundi on Amazon, Book I: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CIGJFGO
Spiritus Mundi, Book II: The Romance http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CGM8BZG


Copyright Robert Sheppard 2013 All Rights Reserved

[Atimia Atimia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title and description are slightly misleading if you expect everyday folk wisdom. Without spoiling anything, the work consists of five ''books'' that are narrations by a wise man (Visnusárman), trying to educate three young stupid princes in the art of governance and general social conduct. The stories are riddled with their own sub-stories and fables, making it a very diverse read.

Basically, at any given point, you could be reading a story about a Brahmin and his Mongoose, which a snake is telling a mouse, which an owl is telling a monkey, which a jackal is telling a lion, which is being told by Visnusárman.

It's surprising that this is not a more spoken of work, as it is incredibly elaborate, but intriguing nonetheless.

The ''religion -> Hinduism'' tag is a bit strange, as it is not at all a religious work. Gods are mentioned here and there, but their being a deity is not at all the focus of the work, nor are the lessons being taught to the princes.

[Mourya Biswas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so many things from ythis book, and yes this book is really superb.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to read this book because it is a very early record of the art of the fable, using animals for moral and/or philosophical teaching purposes. I think that having grown up learning and reciting one Lafontaine fable after another, year after year, has made me sensitive to the genre. So after Lafontaine and Aesop, the natural progression is the Panchatantra, I thought. It may well be so, and I am glad I read those fables for that very reason. However, I did not derive much enjoyment from the process; I thought the construction was too repetitive and the characters not fleshed out enough. So, I will go ahead and recite to myself "The Hare and the Tortoise" while I cook dinner (if I still can!). So there!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indian stories whose authorship is generally attributed to Visnu Sarma in Sanscrit. Originally part of the Indian oral tradition these stories where compiled by Sarma as a means to educate a King's dolt sons in the art of good government. Generally believed to be the original source of Aesop's Fables the stories use animals as the main characters to make a point on how to govern.

These stories can be suitable for children as well as adults, and even though violent ends come to some of the characters it is not troublesome because it is understood that violence can be the result of poor judgement, greed, or other types of wrong doing, and, therefore, to be avoided.

[Dalal · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب مليئ بالحكم والمواعظ التي تقرأ مره تلو الاخرى بدون ملل، وكانت اكثر حكمة أثرت فيني عندما تجد الحل لمشاكلك، تأكد ألا تخلق المزيد من المشاكل.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the preamble, the genesis of the book and its lasting influence is described. “With the aid of these tales, he instructed the princes. They too, learning through these stories, became in six months what Visnu Sarna had promised they would. Since then, this work on practical wisdom has become celebrated as an excellent means of awakening and training young minds.” (5) It is in this spirit that this great book of Sanskrit fables proceeds. Designed to train young minds, they are as a collection a great contribution to world literature, in much the same way that Aesop’s fables are. Its influence runs far and wide.

As fables, each has a lesson. There is an overall structure to the work, but the greatness rests in the sayings within the fables themselves, passed to us as poetic wisdom. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, to be read in short doses. My favorite quotations of wisdom are below:

“With greatest effort are stones carried uphill;
and with the greatest ease do they tumble down;
so too with our own self, through Virtue and Vice.’ (17)

“The wise do not sorrow
for what is dead, or lost, or past.
Between the wise and the fools
Just this is the difference.” (138)

“A father’s ways the son surely emulates, we know,
never on screw-pine do cherry-plums ever grow.” (164)

“Never should you put your trust in villains;
Oh! How well have I understood their ways:
Wait upon a snake for ever so long,
He will always bite the hand that feeds him.” (171)

“Courage and resoluteness, character and strength,
virtue and knowledge; of self-respecting men
such qualities are tested and known from results,
when fired by pride they abandon their native lands.” (179)

“Alliance with villains is like earthen pots
easily broken, difficult to mend;
alliance with the virtuous, like golden pots
difficult to break, easy to mend.” (204)

“Perseverance, not wishes, gets work done;
deer do not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion.” (240)

“An elephant kills by a mere touch;
a serpent if he only sniffs;
a king has only to smile to kill;
a knave by simply paying honour.” (252)

[Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

ভালো লাগলো বেশ! অনেকদিন পর নীতিকথার কোন বই পড়লাম। পাঁচটি তন্ত্র বা নীতি নিয়ে পঞ্চতন্ত্র। এ পাঁচটি তন্ত্র হল, (১) মিত্রভেদ (বন্ধু-বিচ্ছেদ), (২) মিত্রলাভ (বন্ধু লাভ), (৩) কাকোলূকীয় (চিরশত্রুতা), (৪) লব্ধপ্রনাশ (পেয়ে হারানো) ও (৫) অপরীক্ষিতকারক (না ভেবে কাজ করা)।
পশু পাখির মুখ দিয়ে গল্প বলিয়ে হাজার খানিক বছর আগেই মানব প্রকৃতিকে মোটামুটি একটা ছকে ফেলে দিয়েছে এই বইটি! আজকের দিনে নীতিকথাস্বরূপ এই গল্পগুলির আবেদন কতটুকু জানিনা কিন্তু সেই সময়ের প্রেক্ষিতে গল্পবলিয়ের পর্যবেক্ষণ আর উদ্ভাবনী ক্ষমতার দৌড় দেখলে কিছুটা ভাবতে হয় বটে। বিষ্ণুশর্মার এই গল্পগুলোর সাথে ঈশপের কিছু কিছু গল্পের আশ্চর্য মিলও লক্ষ্যনীয়। আরেকটা চমৎকার ব্যাপার হল চরিত্রগুলোর নামকরণ। ক্রথনক (ঊট), মন্থরক (কচ্ছপ), দমনক ও করটক (শেয়াল), পিঙ্গলক(সিংহ) ইত্যাদি নামগুলো গল্পগুলোকে অন্যরকম মাত্রা দিয়েছে। সবচেয়ে যা মজা লেগেছে তা হল গল্পগুলোর ধারাবাহিকতা। মিথলজি জাতীয় কাজগুলোতে ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় রেখে গল্প বলার এই ঢং টা প্রচলিত যা গল্পের আকর্ষণকে আরো অনেক বাড়িয়ে তোলে।

জীবনে বেশীর ভাগ কাজই না ভেবে হঠাৎ ঝোঁকের বসে করা, তাই হয়ত ৫ম তন্ত্র টাই (না ভেবে কাজ করা) বেশী ভালো লাগলো।

[Saanvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man. Okay so I did not like this. Here are my reasons:
1. The introduction alone is a huge turnoff as it is so unnecessarily long and convoluted.
2. The writing style and the verses it contains are just repetitive rather than poetic.
3. It is way too preachy which leads to the reader not actually retaining any of the lessons from the stories.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
4. It is so anti-women. Like there are entire verses (upon verses) explicitly saying how women are horrible and deceitful and stupid etc. Anytime women are mentioned, they are almost always shown as cheating scum or some other negative portrayal.

Overall, it does contain some nice stories which are the backbone of many Indian childrens' childhoods. I would recommend you not to read the full book but rather read some other collection of stories from the Pancatantra because they only contain the nice stories. One that I particularly like is the Amar Chitra Kata ones.

[Sumeet Mahendra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just one story!

There wasn't any moral or short summary of the book at the end of this story. I've have been hoping for some sort of collection of the best stories hand picked by the author.

[Sukaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read book 1 but I think it counts

[سلطان الشريف · Rating 4 out of 5]

تقييم الكتاب ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
عنوان الكتاب: "قصص الكتب الخمسة كليلة ودمنة"
للكاتب: فيشنوشارما وأعاد سردها: فريندا فارما ، ترجمة: أحمد صلاح الدين
عدد الصفحات: 369 صفحة
دار النشر: المحروسة
.
.
رأيي:
"الكتاب عبارة عن 5 كتب (فراق الأصدقاء،كسب الأصدقاء، البوم والغربان، خسارة المكاسب، إجراءات غير مدروسة)، احتوى كل كتاب منهم على مجموعة من الحكايات وهي عبارة عن حكاية داخل حكاية وهي حكايات ذات طابع توعوي وتعليمي. في بداية الكتاب يوضح الكاتب بأن هذا الكتاب من تأليف فشنوشارما الذي استدعاه ملك مملكة صغيرة في جنوب الهند لتعليم أبناءه الثلاث الأغبياء وضعفاء البديهة، حيث ان فشنوشارما أعاد كتابة كل حكمة وقول مأثور في شكل خرافة وقصة قصيرةتدور احداثها بين البشر والحيوانات والكائنات المقدسة والخرافية (في الثقافة الهندية).
احتوى الكاب على قصص ممتعه بطريقة سلسه وبسيطة تنفع للأطفال والمراهقين ليكتسبوا منها بعض القيم والسلوكيات الحميدة.
أنصح به للآباء والأمهات ليقصوا هذه القصص لاطفالهم."

اقتباسات:

- "ليس من الحكمة أن تقفز إلى أي استنتاجات بناء على ما سمعت فقط."
- "القليل من الذكاء والقليل من المكر هما كل ما هو مطلوب لجعل القوي ضعيفًا والضعيف قويًا."
- "الشخص يحصل على ما هو مقدر له أن يحصل عليه، ولست بحاجة إلى أن تثار أو تقلق بشأن ذلك. كل ما هو لي سوف لن يذهب أبدًا إلى آخر."

ملاحظة: "ترجمة جيدة جدًا."

[Aryan Prasad · Rating 5 out of 5]

MR Kale have given translation for selected hard passages only, forcing the reader to actually read the Sanskrit text rather than relying on translation.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Panchatantra” is “Aesop’s Fables” meets Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” but with an Indian flavor. [I realize that the Panchatantra is much older than “The Prince” (though not as old as Aesop’s Fables -- at least not when comparing written editions) but I’d argue it’s still a useful tagline for general readers who aren’t particularly acquainted with Indian literature.] Like Aesop’s Fables, anthropomorphized animals make up the bulk of the cast in this set of stories within a story. Like “The Prince,” a lot of the the advice offers insight into how to lead (as opposed to just how to lead a moral life.) The topics addressed include: building sound alliances, avoiding deception, and making decisions regarding war and peace.

As the Sanskrit title -- Panchatantra [“Five Treatises”] -- suggests, this work is arranged into five books. Of the over eighty fables of the original, more than fifty are collected in this edition. [I suspect this was done to eliminate or consolidate stories that were essentially the same.] The first book is “The Loss of Friends” and it focuses on how alliances are broken up by enemies. The second is “The Winning of Friends” and it gives particular attention to alliance building. The third book is “On Crows and Owls,” and it’s about how to decide whether to go to war, choose peace, or seek some alternative. The penultimate book is “Loss of Gains” and it discusses ways in which people forfeit (or have stolen from them) what they have gained. The last book is “Ill-Considered Action,” and it advises against being hasty. The stories are skillfully written and translated, and they are thought-provoking. That said, they can be a tad hackneyed and simplistic as well. For example, a large number of these tales convey the same simple lesson that one should take advice from individuals who are wise and virtuous, and that lesson’s inverse (that one should ignore those who are foolish and / or immoral.)

I’d highly recommend giving the Panchatantra a read. It both conveys wisdom and offers good stories. It’s true that the stories can become a bit repetitive and also frequently have less than profound morals, but overall, it’s a smart and entertaining collection of fables.

[Pawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://iandbooks.wordpress.com/
All of us have read or heard tales of “Panchatantra” at some point of time or other in our life. These are classic animal fables attributed to have written by “Vishnu Sharma” more than two thousand years ago in Sanskrit. The origin of stories must have been still older and probably they were passed on from generations to generations through the art of story telling. I wanted to get hold of complete book and read it in Hindi and luckily found the book in recent book festival and finished reading it recently.

As the name says, the book is divided into five sections talking about five different principals: Identifying friends, Making friends, Crows and Owls, Loss of gains, Ill considered action. According to known history, Vishnu Sharma had used these tales to teach common principles to children of a King. The stories are extremely simple and are interwoven together. You will find characters of one story telling another story to each other and it goes on like that. The author has used specific animal behaviour and instincts to provide insights on various principles. These stories have been translated, adapted and retold in almost all cultures around the world and are known in different forms. But the main idea still remains the same. Learn from animal behaviour and use that to make your life better.

I had a really great time reading these stories. After a long time, I was reading something that just revolves around animals and how they are supposed to get food for living. It was a great form of comfort reading. It takes you really back in time when life did not revolve around gadgets, technology and desires that go beyond your basic necessities. We have learned so much but have forgotten so many things that the behaviour of these animal characters teaches us.

[Sumith Chowdhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panchateertha

As the name describes, Panchateertha is an onomatopoeia which derives from the process of onomastics based on a linguistic language called 'sanskrit.' It refers to the five pilgrimages which enables & helps the soul seek salvation, freedom from all the shackles of materialistic life. It also helps it to reach the destination of enlightenment where all the living beings long for eternal peace.

Cover is okay. I feel it could have been better designed. It doesn't integrate much with the theme of the book.
Title is catchy, sounds interesting.
I won't discuss the plot neither the story as it may lead to spoilers. It's best if readers grab the book, read & explore on their own accord.

The book has a stark resemblances with the classic 'Panchatantra' by great Rishi Vishnu Sharma, later came to be known as the book with moral stories. It basically aims to teach mankind what it truly means to be honest, moral, ethical & walking in the path of dharma (righteousness). The philosophical analysis enhanced with sanskrit texts, words, anecdotes, prescribed with historical & mythological references makes it possible to discuss & make the readers aware of the complex topics.

Language is simple, good, easy to use & understand. Narration is good, gives an epic touch to it. Also, characterisation with plot & story is well justified.
Though the book is fictional, it seems almost realistic in every way.
The book has been written in a way which targets all the age groups & simply not restricted to the mere audience.

What I didn't like is the use of profane abusive words (slangs) at certain places in colloquial form which is often used in local languages. Also, the cover is poorly fragmented & designed. Needs much work.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Итак, сразу скажу - эту книгу я слушала в аудио-версии в исполнении Жанны Жиглинской. Тексты прочитаны на основе "Лихушина Н.П. Легкий санскрит - басни Панчатантры".
Панчатантра - это сборник индийских басен, которых миновала "более поздняя обработка". Поэтому они сохранили весь свой самобытный колорит, оригинальный посыл, включая "предлагаемую структуру поведения в обществе". Герои - люди, звери, птицы - вступают в конфликты, убивают и едят друг друга, обманывают и "следуют судьбе", зарабатывают и отрабатывают карму. На примере простых сказок читатель знакомится с довольно толстым пластом информации о мире для человека "эпохи санскрита". Некоторые взгляды этого мировоззрения могут проявляться и поныне, найдя воплощение в религиозных традициях, а некоторые могут быть актуальны и для современного европейского человека, а другие - остались где-то в истории Индостана. Например, и сейчас успешным браком считают брак "между равными", что происходит и когда Мышка выбирала себе жениха - ей не подошел ни солнечный бог Савитар, ни ветер, ни утес, ни луна, и даже будучи превращенной в прекрасную девочку, она выбрала себе в женихи мышку. Конечно, такие сказочки не почитаешь детям лет этак до 14-ти (в некоторых присутствуют неоднократные "заключения брака по традициям гандхарвов", а в одной очень "мило" описываются все причины, почему девочке надо находить мужа исключительно в 8 лет, в другой же - какие блага получает жена, решившаяся на ритуал Сати...), но "Змей, катающий лягушек" вполне может научить ребенка осторожности с людьми, которые могут быть опасны.

[lynne fireheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a long read. Amusing, educational, and entertaining too.

The premise is simple: a King at wit's end about how to awaken the intelligence of his sons engages the services of Visnu Sarma, who proceed to educate the princes via tales, not unlike Aesop's fables.

What I enjoyed was how the stories were structured. Each of the five (panca) have a large frame within which many many MANY smaller tales appear. You'll have two characters in a situation, one wants to do something, the other either supports or disagrees by quoting a proverb or such, the one goes "Oh? How did that happen?" and so the other launches into the supporting tale, where, more often than not, you'll also have two or more characters who have a similar conversation, thus providing a tale within a tale within a tale within... well you get the idea. I actually laughed out loud at how some tales came one after another.

The first story - Estrangement of Friends - is by far the longest and most detailed. Once you make your way through this one, the remaining four frames can be zipped through quite quickly.

If you pick it up, prepare yourself for a heavy but fun read.

[José · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I've read this, but only now am I taking the time to review it. Panchatantra, credited to Vishnu Sharma, is a very comprehensive book on correct Indian practices during the 3rd century BCE through mostly fables. One of the best parts of this book is the sort of matryoshka-ish storytelling that delves deeper into itself while explaining those practices and really immerses the reader into an interesting experience of learning.

Besides that, another interesting aspect of it is how pragmatic it is, when compared to the general idea of Indian esoterism. Deeply, it has some more religious- and spiritual-driven themes, but it ends up as a very life- and even success-coaching book.